Source: Jamie Schwaberow / Getty
it was finally time for an unpredictable win.
One of the two matchups was between
Duke and Houston, with the North Carolina powerhouse expected to make it to the finals. And that did seem to be the consensus, after all, they were up 14 points with eight minutes left. But then the offense slowed down as Houston exploded with a 10-0 run.
Then, some Duke fans suddenly began to sweat, only until Cooper Flagg made a three, securing a nine-point lead with three minutes left. However, little did they know it’d be their last made shot.
Those nine points disappeared as the Houston Cougars remained calm under pressure, scoring nine points in the final 37 seconds.
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It began with Duke getting a tech after an inbounds foul, which led to scoring another point at the line. They still possessed the ball after that, and Houston let them drive to the basket for a missed layup instead of an intentional foul. Houston got the rebound and headed back up the court, where Emanuel Sharp sank a three, cutting the lead to 67-64.
Houston then steals the Blue Devils’ inbound pass and then scores a putback dunk off a missed three, getting them to within one point. Afterwards, Houston fouls, but Duke misses a free throw, only to return the favor. Houston makes both, giving them a one-point lead.
Cooper Flagg misses a jumper, followed by two more made free throws by Houston, securing the win 70-67.
After the major collapse, Duke coach Jon Scheyer praised Houston, knowing the team had a lot of fight in it.
“Houston is a team that doesn’t quit,”
Scheyer told ESPN. “I mean, they’re never going to stop. So my messaging throughout the whole way with the team was, understand this team doesn’t go away. So no lead is safe with them.”
Houston now faces Florida — which beat Southeastern Conference rival Auburn 79-73— in Monday night’s NCAA Men’s Championship game.
See how social media is reacting to the win below.
